Rank and File - "Conductor Wore Black" from their first album "Sundown" is as much a classic as anything. To call it country/rock just doesn't do it justice. They were a punk band (The Dils), but as Rank & File, they just didn't stand still sound-wise (and Alejandro Escovedo, also worth checking out, left after the first album). By their third album (which I also really like BTW), the sound was more pop-metal, but the songs were still Rank & File. Someday maybe they'll re-release the first album and include the cassette bonus track "Post Office"..."Listen closely, to what I say; I'm gonna sing it once and for all; If I can't earn an honest buck; You'll see my picture on the post office wall...". Heck, I hope someone releases a box set :-)

Richard Thompson - If your favorite Jethro Tull album is "Songs from the Wood", then you ought to hear Fairport Convention (I think a good place to start is the "Fairport Chronicles" collection, otherwise my favorite is the Full House live album, not to be confused with House Full). Then maybe you'll want to dig more, and start listening to Richard Thompson, though its hard to say where to start there. The first song I ever heard was "Both Ends Burning" from the "Hands of Kindness" album (keeping in mind that he left Fairport to do things that didn't sound like Fairport, and this album sometimes leans in the Cajun direction), and I suppose that's as good a place to start as any. My favorite song might be "Night Comes In" on the "Guitar, Vocal" album. Do I need to mention that Sandy Denny is great too, and she's done more than just sing backup on one Led Zepplin song (Battle of Evermore)? To put this section all together, my favorite Sandy Denny track is probably the version of "A Sailor's Life" by Fairport Convention on the Richard Thompson compilation, "Watching the Dark" (though the Sandy Denny box set is also well worth the price).

The Dream Syndicate - Their first album "Days of Wine and Roses", was a classic. Hard (for me anyway) to describe though. Loud, feedback, great rock music. If you do like the first album, subsequent ones might be somewhat of a disappointment, but "Live at Raji's" is great (I only have "Days..." on vinyl, so I mostly listen to the Live album). "Halloween" on either album is great.

Jon and the Nightriders - My favorite is "Live at the Whiskey." Surf Music with a vengance. Has all the classics, Hawaii Five-O, Wipeout, Pipeline..ok it doesn't have Wipe Out, but its great.

The Flamin' Groovies - The underdogs of rock. Some say they didn't make it because they played 2 1/2 minute songs when it was popular to play 20 minute jams. Or they played 50's rock in the 60's (though they sounded nothing like the Stray Cats). The classic albums are probably Flamingo and Teenage Head, but I like "Still Shakin'", which had one side compiled from those two albums, and the other side "unreleased" stuff (including one Randy Newman song, and a six minute Louie, Louie).

Grant Hart - I think Bob Mould is a great guitarist and songwriter and all, but I always found myself preferring the Grant Hart songs in Hüsker Dü. "You Can Live at Home" from the "Warehouse.." album is killer (even though I can not understand a word of it), and so is "Turn on the News" from Zen Arcade. So I ended up buying his first (I think) solo album "Intolerance", which sounds nothing like Hüsker Dü (more pop than punk-metal), and there's IMO a couple of classics there, "2541" for one. I also have a couple of Nova Mob albums, the untitled one is great, and "Last Days of Pompeii" is a bit hard to listen to, though I do really like "Admiral of the Fire" and its reprise. YMMV.

Flipper (update: you must listen) - Not for your average tastes. Grunge before grunge was cool (though nothing like any grunge popular in the last 15 years)? Anti-punk? How can you not like a seven minute manic noise-fest where the only lyrics are "Sex Bomb baby, yeah"? They were supposed to close the Sex Pistols final show at SF, but circumstances conspired against them :-) The "Generic" album is a classic, I also like the double live one...

Gram Parsons - Playing country music when country definitely wasn't cool, and probably more country than the pop music they call country today. "In My Hour of Darkness" w/Emmylou Harris is the most beautiful song anytime anywhere (on GP/Grievous Angel). "One Hundred Years from Now" on the Byrds "Sweetheart ..." is an overlooked classic.

Johnny Thunders - Pre-punk buzzsaw guitar. The Heartbreakers (no, not Tom Petty and ...) "L.A.M.F." album is great. Both New York Dolls albums are "must haves" for any complete rock collection, and though he doesn't have a great voice, his "Daddy Rolling Stone" on the So Alone album with Steve Marriott (who does have the greatest voice in rock) is awesome.

FYI, my tastes run toward country/blues/rock (CCR, Lynyrd Skynrd, SRV, Stones, Zepplin), also reggae(Marley, The Harder They Come soundtrack), punk (Ramones, Stiff Little Fingers), progressive (Jethro Tull, Yes, Genesis, King Crimson), and folk (Chieftains, Silly Wizard, Old Blind Dogs, Woody Guthrie). Oh yeah, and what about my namesake from whom I most un-originally nicked my nick? I think every album has at least a couple of great songs, and at least one in Gaelic. The Long Player compilation is excellent, especially if you can get the version with the bonus CD that has "Saints of the Soil" and "Ribhinn O" on it. Nothing quite like the way they make a rock anthem out of "Loch Lomond" either...

And I'm a complete sucker for a I-bVII-IV-I song. Feel free to send me additions to the following list and win points nearly as valuable as those given by dws or Whose Line Is It Anyway (please indicate preference of American or British points). And finally, if you have heard of all of the music mentioned on this page, you earn extra Bonus points, and if you've heard all the music mentioned on this page, then you earn Mega-Bonus points:
Runrig's I-bVII-IV-I list: